Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes. It is a bizarre argument that they run. If they want to split hairs and argue that it belongs to the states, they can continue to run that. What we know and what the Australian people know and understand is that those resources belong to them. The Australian people want their fair share. Those resources do not belong to the mining companies. They belong to the Australian people and they want their fair share.

Let us be very clear on what this argument is about. It is about how much tax the mining companies want to pay. Is anyone really surprised that the mining companies that face increased taxation—even though it is set in a way that they like and in many instances they will in fact pay less tax at many levels up until the super profits stage—the richest and most profitable ones, the ones with the most profitable mines, are complaining? They will pay more tax—that is true—when they get into the super profits situation, but many will pay less tax under this arrangement.

Who is putting in the big bucks in the campaign against the tax? The big mining companies, because they know they make super profits. They want to keep all the massive profits that we have seen double, triple and quadruple over the years. They pay less tax now as a percentage than they ever have before. Australians deserve their fair share. This government put Australia’s interests first. It puts the interests of Australians before the interests of the big companies. They will still make lots of money. Let us not make any mistake about that. These companies will continue to make billions and billions of dollars, as they always have. But if it is a question of whether they can save some extra money here and there, they say, ‘Let’s do so; let’s run a campaign against the government,’ because they have a compliant opposition—an opposition which they know will simply roll over because they are looking for any issue to be at odds with the government on. The mining companies think: ‘Okay, we can buy them. We can put them in our pockets and we will try and change the government. They will do what we want them to do and move away from this tax so Australians do not get their fair share.’ That is what they have done. They have effectively bought the opposition. You are the paid servants of the big mining companies.